419 scam: UNITED STATES FEDERAL RESERVE <mr.benshalombernanke@gmail.com> FROM THE DESK OF DR. BEN SHALOM BERNENKE

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "mtcn" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- mr.benshalom@kimo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: UNITED STATES FEDERAL RESERVE <mr.benshalombernanke@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mr.benshalom@kimo.com
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 09:13:17 +0800 (CST)
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF DR. BEN SHALOM BERNENKE

From the desk of Mr. Ben Shalom Bernanke
Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve/
FUND MANAGEMENT & REFORM COMMITTEE
(SUB SECTION WEST AFRICAN MONITORING UNIT)
Our Ref: PHC/WAMU/BJN/ZZ057

NOTIFICATION OF CREDIT FROM UNITED STATES FEDERAL RESERVE.

Attn: Beneficiary,

We have this day received a payment credit instruction from the Federal Government of Benin to credit your account with your full Inheritance fund of US$15.8Million from the Benin reserve account with our UNITED STATES FEDERAL RESERVE. However, you are required to provide the followings data below:

{1}. Your Full Name and Address.
{2}. Your Confidential Tel, Cell and Fax
{3). Your Bank name and address.
{4). Your A/c Name and A/c Numbers.:
(5). Your Swift Code / Routing Numbers.

Please do provide the above information accurately, because this office cannot afford to be held liable for any wrong transfer of funds or liability of funds credited into a ghost account.

Secondly,the only money you pay for the transfer to take place is just $85 being the approval payment certification from the government of Benin, and you are giving a limited time to send the payment and please be advise that you are to send the payment to American Embassy office in Benin and you are to use this information to send the $85 and please be informed that you are not going to pay any other payment to any body and do not be deceived by any body to send any other payment.

Here is the information you will use to send the payment through Money Gram or Western union.

Name:      TAGBO FRANCIS
Country:   Benin
City:      Cotonou
Question: OK
Answer:    OK
Amount:    $85

Send to me the following info once you send the payment.
Senders Name:
Location:
MTCN / Reference #:

Upon confirmation of the payment, note that your funds will be credited into your provided account within 24hours.

Thanks for transacting with the federal Reserve Bank while we looking forward to serving you with the best of our service. Accept my congratulations in advance.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Thanks and God bless you.

Regards,
Yours in Service,
Mr. Ben S. Bernanke

Chairman United States Federal Reserve
Telephone number:(+1)5858612253
Office Email : mr.benshalom@kimo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam